Spring-leaf spreader



' Apr. l0, 1923.

L. M. GREENSLADE SPRING LEAF SPREADER Filed Jan. 1'7, 1921 gnven to@ L owls /Y Grens/ade.

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Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

UNITED STATES LOUIS M. GREENSLADE, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA` SPBING'LEAF SPREADER.

Application led January 17, 1921.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Louis M. GnEnNsLADE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Leaf Spreaders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tool for separating the leaves of leaf springs of the multiply leaf type commonly employed in auto vehicles and the like.

An object thereof is to provide a slmple and powerful tool forA spreading the sprnig leaves and holding them apart. to permit the placing of a lubricanttherebetween.

Another object is to provide a tool of the above character which is compact and adapted to be adjusted to render it applicable to springs of various widths.

Another object is to provide a spring spreading tool embodying a pair of jaw members adapted to be engaged with .a spring from the opposite sides thereof in which the jaw Inembers may be advanced toward each other to enter the space between the spring leaves and t wedge the latter apart in which the jaws are so mounted and operated as to have a practically parallel movement relative to each other.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevationof the device embodying the features of this 1nvention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the device.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of a modification thereof.

Figure 4 is a view in section as seen on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view partly in section of a ratchet wrench.

More specifically, 5 and 6 indicate a pair of arms, the lower ends of which are mounted on pivots 7 and 8 carried by a tie member 9 which may comprise a turn buckle 10 as shown in Figure 3 or may consist of links 11 as shown in Figure 2 the turn buckle being employed where it is desiredto construct the tool so that the spacing between the pivoted ends of the arms may be adjusted accordin to the size of the spring on which the too is to be used. The link construction is employed where the tool is to be con- Serial No. 437,802.

structed for use on springs of certain sizes. The arms 5 and 6 are formed at their lower ends with inturned jaw members 12 and 13 of wedge shape, that is with their upper and lower faces inclined and diverging from points 14 and 15; the points being designed to be engaged with and inserted between a pair of adjacent spring leaf members. Rotatably mounted in the arm 5 is a stem 16 having a threaded portion 17 which extends through and engages an internally threaded opening 18 in the arm 6; the stem 16 being adapted on being rotated to advance and retract the arms 5 and 6 relative to each other. The outer end of the stem 16 projecting through the arm 5 is formed with a squared or hexagonal tool engaging portion 19 by which the stein may be gripped with a wrench or the like to provide a detachable handle for turning the stem. Preferably a ratchet wrench 20 is employed which elnb-odies a shank 21, a head 22, and a ratchet. sleeve 23 turnable in one direction in the head and formed with an opening 24 to re` ceive the end 19 of the stem 16; the sleeve 23 being formed with ratchet teeth 25 engaged by a pawl 26 carried in the head by which the sleeve is held against rotation in one direction. The opening 2l in the sleeve 23 extends through the latter so that the end 19 of the stem may be inserted ineitlier end of the sleeve from one side or the other of the wrench according to the direction in which it is desired to rotate the stem.

In the operation of the invention, thc` arms 5 and 6 are separated sufciently by a rotating stem 15 to permit the jaw members 12 and 13 being placed astride the spring whereupon the stem is turned to advance the arms towards each other to cause the points of the a'ws to enter between the springs and thereby effect spreading of the spring leaves due to the wedge action exerted by the inclined faces of the jaws on continued advance movement of the latter toward each other. The arms are securely retained in their advanced position by the threaded engagement of the stem with the arm 6 and by a collar 27 on the stem which is arranged to abut against the outer face of the arm 5 so that after the spring leaves have been separated they will be held in spaced relation to each other to permit placing of a lubricant therebetween.

Rotation of the stem is preferably effected by the ratchet wrench which to turn the stem in one direetion is positioned so that the pawl will engage the ratchet teeth on the sleeve to hold the latter against turning as is common in the use of such Wrench; the Wrench being engaged with the stem from the opposite side of the Wrench to reverse the position of the pawl and ratchet when 1t is desired to turn the stem in the opposite direction.

There it is desirable to adapt the tool for use on springs of various Widths the turn buckle is employed which on being operated as is common to turn buckles Will ad Vance or retract the pivoted ends of the arms relative to each other and thereby space the arms apart according to the Width of the spring to be acted upon. By this arrangement the arms may be adjusted so that the outer end portions of the arms, will have a substantially parallel movement toward each other in entering between the spring leaves.

While I have shown and described a speefie embodiment of my invention l do not limit myself to the exact details of construetion shown but may employ such changes in the details and arrangement of the parts as come Within the scope of the appended Claim.

I claim:

A spring leaf spreading tool comprising a tie member, an arm member pivotally mounted on each end of said tie member, an inturned wedge shaped jaw member on the outer end oi each arm member, and a threaded stem turnable in and held against longitudinal movement in one of the arm members, and having a threaded portion turnable in screw engagement with the other arm member whereby rotation of said Stem will cause said arms to move forward or away from each other,y said stem being located between the tie member and the jaw members adjacent the outer ends of the latter and remote from the tie member.

LOUTS M. GREENSLADE. 

